


Teen Titans Season 6 E1 - Reckoning

by MikeWriter312



Category: DC Animated Universe, DCU, DCU (Comics), Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: Canon Continuation, Character Development, Developing Relationship, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-03-20 16:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13721571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikeWriter312/pseuds/MikeWriter312
Summary: Season 6 takes place immediately after the Season 5 finale: "Things Change". In this season - the story of the Teen Titans continues as the team returns to the city they left behind, the changes they undergo and the mystery of Terra's revival that is somehow connected to Slade's latest scheme to destroy the Titans.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> To readers of my fanfic. Update! I apologize for taking so long for the third chapter to be out. I have been preoccupied as of late with my personal/school life. It has cut into a large portion of my time and as such my stories have been delayed. But rest assured this does NOT mean that I am done writing the story. Far from it! There is much more to come! Hopefully now I can start to get chapters in on a more regular basis… If you’re still sticking around. Please do rate and review. Your feedback is very much appreciated.   
> Enjoy!

“Beast Boy, GO!” Robin yelled at the top of his lungs, as Beast Boy transformed into a rhino, and rammed the monster into its gut through a truck carrying a fuel tank. “Starfire!” shouted Robin, and Starfire, on command, flew up and fired a radiant beam of green fire from her eyes that cuts the tank in half, which spilled liquid nitrogen all over the monster. The monster stopped momentarily before beginning its advance again. Raven used her telekinesis to draw pipes from the ground up, which wrapped around the creature, restraining its wild movements. Taking this opportunity, Robin leaped forward and threw a disc bomb, sending it straight into the struggling beast. In a split instant, it was completely encompassed in an freezing icicle. “Now, before it adapts!” Robin ordered frantically. Cyborg aimed his shot, and hollered his favorite phrase: “Booyah!” as he fired. His sonic cannon blasted the creature, shattering it into millions of tiny particles spilling across the the room. “YEAH! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” shouted Cyborg in triumph. “Is it finally over?” grumbled Raven, pulling off her hood.

 

“Wait…give it time,” motioned Robin. The Titans watched to see if the creature would somehow reform from the devastating blow it suffered. Several minutes had past and still the splinters of what was left of it refused to move or shape itself. Starfire was the one to break the silence. “Friends! Victory is assured. I believe we are ‘in the clear’!” Starfire announced. “I’m still confused. What was that thing?” Cyborg asked, rubbing his head curiously. Robin turned to Beast Boy. “Slade…” said Beast Boy. The Titans gasped a little under their breath. Knowing the damage he had caused over the years since their team began. Slade had personally affected them all, especially Robin, but ironically the one among them now who had the most reason to hate the arch-villian was Beast Boy. Robin looked at him, not as stunned as the others, but visibly concerned. “Slade?... What does he have to do with it?”. Unbeknownst to him, Starfire with her wonderfully perceptive vision saw the subtle change in facial expression. The slight change in movement of his eyes and twitch of muscles may as well have expressed anxiety and a quiet disgust. She had grown familiar with this and had never gotten used to Dick’s unease at just hearing the man’s name. “I fought him. Or at least I thought I did,” said Beast Boy with some hesitation in his voice. This time Raven spoke up. “Why didn’t you call for backup? You know how dangerous he is.” Raven had her own dealings with Slade, and while with her power she could easily tear him apart limb from limb, things were never that simple. Not with how they lived their lives. While she had been able to recover from past events by the act of meditation, her fellow teammates way of dealing with it had never been as healthy. She remembered as clear as yesterday how he never left his room for a month the fateful night Terra betrayed them and vanished to join Slade’s unholy crusades.

 

“He had me cornered. It all was happening fast,” Beast Boy answered quickly. “But I managed to win. Or like I said, I thought. But it turned out to be one of his stupid robots.” Robin looked at him intently, as if to analyze the previous scene that occured. Beast Boy added, “I think he has something to do with it.” “Did he say anything to you?” Robin inquired. “Maybe she doesn’t want to remember…” The memories flashed across his brain. Beast Boy sighed, and lied, “No. … Just his usual mind games. I don’t remember it all.” This was a lie. He knew very well that it was, but at the moment he could not bring himself to share the details of that horrible encounter. “She doesn’t want to see you anymore…” Robin put a hand on Beast Boy’s shoulder. “Whatever he’s planning, we’re going to stop him. We’ve done it before and we’re going to do it again.” Beast Boy looked at him with assurance. They had their differences but if there was one thing he could count on, it was Robin’s word. They had survived the end of the world and defeated a world wide gang of villains a year afterwards. There were times where he truly felt that there was nothing in the world they could not conquer as a team. But this was the one battle he felt he needed to deal with alone. For now. “Where was the last time you saw him?” Robin asked in a serious tone. “At the theme park,” said Beast Boy. “Then we’ll start there. But in the meantime we should head home, get some rest. It’s been a long day.” Beast Boy nodded, promptly leaving ahead of his friends. His friends stood there, looking worried. Starfire floated to the floor, asking, “He doesn’t seem like himself. …Is he alright?” “Just give him a little time. He needs to process Terra and Slade’s return.” “We all do,” Raven finished.

 

Beast Boy still ahead of them, he kept walking forward. Remembering that night.

 

_“Why did you bring Terra back!?” Beast boy demanded, with a slight sound of anxiety at Slade’s sudden appearance. “I had nothing to do with her return,” Slade denied. Nearly ignoring his statement, Beast Boy continued to accuse him,“You did something to take away her memory and you took away her powers!” “I did nothing, dear boy. If the girl does not remember or use her powers. It is because she chooses so.” There was that, Slade addressing him as if he was a child. Boiling with rage. Beast Boy glared at the multiple reflections of Slade. “WHY wouldn’t she want to remember? She was a hero! She saved all of us!” Beast Boy cried out with growing fury. He no longer stared at a single reflection but looked around him, anxious to sense Slade’s presence somehow. “Don’t you see? She no longer wants to remember you.” Slade's voice echoed within the room. That does it! Beast Boy thought. Transforming into a bull he smashed through the room with a nearly uncontrollable anger, before transforming into a bear, to finish off the rest of the mirrors. Even if it means I destroy this entire park. “I’m taking him down…Once and for all!”, he thought. Transforming back to his original form, he took a breather. He calmed down, so he could find out where Slade may have been hiding. Suddenly, Beast Boy heard a roar above him, and saw Slade plummeting towards him. Dodging just in time, Slade’s fist crushed the floor beneath him. Stumbling back to his feet, Beast Boy faced his hated enemy and shouted, “I WON’T LET YOU HURT HER AGAIN!” Slade, in his almost inhumanly calm demeanor, replied, “You’re the one who’s hurting her. Let her go.”_

 

The flight home was fast. As soon as they got back to the tower, Beast Boy was noticeably quieter than his usual self. Normally he and Victor, also known as Cyborg, took the time to “cool down,” playing Game Station after a day of kicking bad guy butt. It was their way of kicking back and planning the week ahead of them. Victor was his best pal, but for an unexplainable reason Beast Boy could not bring himself to tell him what happened at Murakami High, Terra’s school. Or at least not yet. So instead, he told him that he needed some time for himself. Victor was older then him, and most would say more mature. So instead of pushing the matter, he let him go. “Good ol’ Vic…” Beast Boy said to himself as he headed towards the top of Titans tower. Due to several attacks on the Tower, Cyborg had outfitted a ridiculously complex security system. So advanced, that now, the Tower had an invisible shield surrounding the entire foundation itself. Nothing could come in even if it was by force, because anything that hit it, would automatically be deflected back towards the supposed attacker. Yet it did not mute the sounds or even block the wind from the outside. Beast Boy could never figure out how Vic managed that. Every now and then he would forget that Cyborg was part supercomputer. Even though half his body attested to that very fact. Beast Boy chuckled to himself, and remembered how they’d debate about who was the weirder looking one. Vic would call him the Green Martian and he would call Vic “The Big Bad T-800”.

 

Sometimes Beast Boy, or better known to his friends as Garfield Logan, would come to the top of the tower to reflect a little. “Like Raven. Only I don’t lock myself up in a dungeon.” Beast Boy smiled as he thought this to himself. He was watching the sun set over Jump City, holding his heart shaped box in his hand. Opening it up, he took a look at his emerald reflection. Beast Boy remembered how he gave it to her. The many hours spent on crafting the little box, going a “little crazy with the glue gun.” He remembered how hard he had kicked himself after she initially said no to his vague idea of a date. Only for her to appear by his window hovering on a segment of earth, stretching her hand out to take him on what would be one of the most happiest nights of his life… and one of the worst. “No… Don’t think about that,” he scolded himself. But he couldn’t help it. It still felt fresh, like it was only yesterday, that Terra had been with them. He wondered if he hadn’t had done what he did back then. _“Slade was right. You have no friends.”_ His words echoed in his head. He couldn’t believe he had said that. “Maybe if I didn’t turn her away, maybe she’d still be here,” Beast Boy whispered to himself. Beast Boy felt something wet on his face, and realized a tear had streamed down his cheek. He heard footsteps heading towards him. Wiping his face, he turned around and said, “Hey, Rae! I didn’t see you there. I’ll be back down soon.”

 

“Actually, I was coming up to join you. May I?” Raven said. “Yeah, sure! I wanted to catch the sunset, believe it or not it's kinda like a hobby for me now you know?” Beast Boy said in his usual enthusiastic voice. “I believe you. It's a hobby of mine too.” Raven responded, getting down to sit next to him. “Funny, I always thought you were more of a moon watcher type gal,” Beast Boy joked. “What gave you that idea?” Raven said, still staring with active interest at the sun slowly descending over the ocean. “Well.. uh.. You see… I—uh… It's just that it’s the first time I’ve seen you up here at this hour,” Beast Boy stammered. “That’s because I have a perfect view of it from my bedroom.” Raven replied. “Oh, yeah,” Beast Boy said with a little embarrassment. He had been in her room before, but it wasn’t like he had a good look at the whole thing, due to most of it covered in darkness. That, and he and Cy getting sucked into Nevermore by one of Raven’s mirrors. “But you’re right,” Raven said, to which Beast Boy looked at her confused. “I am a moon watcher girl.” She smiled softly, as the sun descended slowly. The light reflected off her face, giving her pale face a slight glow. “Yes, I was right! On the first try too!” Beast Boy cheered. Raven just looked at him with amusement, then scooted a little closer to him. An air of silence had washed over them. Not in an awkward sense, but simply acknowledging each other’s presence while being captivated by nature’s simple pleasures. Beast Boy’s hand was still on his case. She put hers on it. Beast Boy who had been looking at the sunset, noticed her hand on his. He jumped a little, and had a very slight flush of pink in his cheeks. It was not like her to show care in this way, so he wasn’t used to this sudden gesture. Having been a little lost in thought, Raven looked into his eyes, and Beast Boy returned the gaze nervously. “You don’t have to hide it. I know what you’re feeling.” She did, and Beast Boy had to admit it. It was virtually impossible hiding any kind of emotion from her. She was an empath. “I just want you to know… I’m here for you. You were there for me more times than I can count. Let me return the favor.” Said Raven.

 

Beast Boy sighed, the same way he did before he told them about Slade’s return. Raven took her hand away and sat patiently. “I left out a bit. I actually found her again at her school. We had a talk and…” Beast Boy’s voice trailed off. Raven had a feeling she knew the answer to what happened. But she resisted the inclination to finish his own sentence. So she kept quiet as her green-skinned companion struggled to find words. “She… She told me that things weren’t the way I remembered it. That things change. That what I wanted from her was just a memory… It seems like everyone is telling me to move on. To let her go.. But it's not that simple! No-one knew her like I did! How could it be like this? How could she forget? She was so happy then, before Slade came around and ruined everything!” At that last sentence, Beast Boy’s hand clenched itself into a fist and he was struggling to hold back tears. Raven looked with a mixture of surprise and empathy. Garfield tended to wear his heart on his sleeve, but he was good at hiding his more “complicated” emotions, at least to the other Titans. She could sense emotions, but only if she focused enough, only then was she able to tell what they were exactly feeling. She didn’t make this into a habit out of respect for her friend’s privacy. Looking at him now, she didn’t need to have powers to understand what his feelings. She found it hard to feel the same as he did about her. She was a friend, but Terra lied and betrayed them all for her misguided loyalty to a madman. Her last vivid memory of the girl was the two of them fighting tooth and nail in a mud pit, at each other's throats. She remembered how Terra got her to lose control and how that almost costed her own life in the process. She remembered the cruel words and Terra standing over her, using her powers to slowly bury her deep where no one would find her. In desperation, Raven used the last of her power to cocoon herself in a protective shell. A state much like a coma. When she came to, Terra was long gone. She remembers gasping for air, in shock, confusion and utter terror for her friend’s lives. Raven’s emotions then formed into one coherent state: rage.

 

Rage at someone she once trusted with her life, rage at the injustice of it all, and rage at the one person that broke Garfield's heart. Raven was so blinded by it all that she was almost glad that she had “died”. If not for Garfield’s pleas, she might have done everything in her power to make sure she never came out of that death-like state she entombed herself in. She saved Jump City, she saved her friends, but the damage was done. Things would never be the same. But as time went on, Raven realized she could not hold on to the hate. That was her father’s quality. The interdimensional demon who came close to killing the planet and she let it happen. By all intents and purposes, she should have deserved no better than Terra. But her friends believed in her. Garfield believed in her… Call it whatever you want, it was this purity that restored something in her that she could never fully tap into. Its this feeling that motivated her to act on his behalf. “But I guess I have no choice, huh?” said Beast Boy, who began to calm down. “She made her own choice…” Raven’s monotone voice trailed away into the light winds. “I just… I just miss her Raven. Is that so wrong?” A tear trickled once again down his face. “No it isn’t. … I know because I miss her too,” Raven said to him. This wasn’t a lie, this was true. She missed the person she was to them. To Garfield. Despite how she felt about him. Her loss left him hurting, and being an empath she knew full well the depth of his sorrow. Beast Boy looked at her and then without warning, or thought, wrapped his arms around her tightly. Everything that he kept inside seemed to burst out of him. Raven was taken aback, but returned the gesture. She hugged him tightly as he cried in her shoulder. The last rays of the sun lit the sky as it sunk out of view behind them, as the two Titans shared in there comforting embrace.

*****************************************************************

 

The next two weeks were back to the regular routine of crime fighting. Beast Boy acted like his old self, more or less. But there was something different about him. Something had changed. His demeanor had matured a little, and he seemed to carry himself as if he was older. Cyborg noticed it first, when Beast Boy lost again to him while playing Gamestation. He reacted with less shock in failure, but more with a casual laugh. It made it a little less fun to gloat, but inside Cyborg acknowledged that maybe his little buddy might be starting to grow up. He felt proud. He also seemed to get along more with Raven, she even laughed at his jokes once or twice. This initially shocked the Titans, but Raven would play it off, saying “it wasn’t that funny.” Beast Boy would respond by his usual banter in an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle twice. He’d never manage to do it, but he was still able to crack a smile from Raven. Wonder where that’s going to go? Cyborg thought to himself with a smirk as he polished his equipment. Robin didn’t notice as much, as he was too busy with his newfound relationship with Star. Nothing changed much in the latter, other than the fact that the two were more open about it nowadays.

 

Yet not all was well. Two weeks had passed since their battle with that white monster, and Slade’s supposed reappearance. The fact that Slade had not made a move made Robin uneasy. So he poured himself into his investigation, trying to find new clues or leads. It was times like these, where Robin tended to get obsessive. Which oddly enough, Robin had mentioned at one time that he had the same issues with his mentor the Bat himself and the Clown Prince of Crime. “Apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree,” Cyborg muttered to himself as he walked across the hallways. He found Robin still typing away on his personal computer on a table with a mess of scattered documents and papers with quick, sloppy print. He looked intently at the screen as if the whole world around him had gone dark, the teen didn’t seem to notice his footsteps. Cyborg knocked on the wall, signalling Robin of his presence. Robin hardly shifted his position. “Yeah, I know it’s late, Cy. … Just looking at one last lead,” he grunted. “Well, it’s been two weeks. Found anything yet?” asked Cyborg. Robin gripped his face in tired annoyance. The answer seemed clear enough. Slade had a reputation of being the most elusive villain they ever faced. He had never been caught, and there never was a single trace of evidence left behind. “Not enough. There’s scattered bread crumbs, but no trail,” Robin answered, shutting off the computer. “I don’t get it, Cy. We’ve chased him for years, but he’s always two steps ahead. Always.” “More like ten steps… But who’s counting?” Cyborg joked. Robin looked at him, unamused. Cyborg’s manner shifted to a more serious note. “Look, man, it’s late. You’ve been working non-stop on this. If Slade does come back, we’ll be ready for him. Like you always say.” Cyborg took a breath of confidence.

 

“Besides…” Cyborg continued, “it ain’t like you’re going to do much good fighting the bad guys if you’re half asleep.” “What’s the use of being ‘ready’ for him when whatever he’s planning is going to happen anyway? Sure, we can stop him. But if that meant anything, that psychopath would be behind bars right now,” Robin added. But it seemed pointless to push the subject with him. So he simply nodded and bid goodnight to his friend. No matter how much he’d like to deny it to himself, Slade reminded him of his adopted father. Thinking ahead of the enemy, and always having a plan within a backup plan. He even fought like his old mentor, calculating and reading each move like an open book. But with the Bat there was always an endgame, a goal: “Protect Gotham”, no matter the cost. Robin had yet to even understand what Slade’s motives were.

There was nothing to read beyond that cold mask. He was like a machine, every decision he made seemed like a carefully premeditated move in a game of chess. It seemed logical to just sit back and wait, but that meant having to just react, and he hated being left on the receiving end of things. Left at the mercy of mere circumstance was not an option. Robin turned and was just about to access the Titan mainframe again when his screen started to blink. First once, then twice, then static filled the screen before the computer shutdown. Bewildered, Robin sat up, thinking that it was some sort of glitch in Cyborg’s near flawless system. But as quickly as it shut down, it again powered on by itself. His screen flashed and what emerged on the monitor made Robin’s eyes widen… Right in front of him. Staring at him with that one eye that pierced into him like a razor-sharp dagger, was Slade.


	2. Chapter 2

Robin almost fell out of his chair. How could this have happened? How did he hack into Titan’s mainframe? Cyborg made sure it was “untouchable.” Yet there he was, staring at him with that one eye. As if that eye could follow them wherever they went, and haunt every corner of their mind. Whatever thoughts he had next were interrupted by the sound of Slade’s voice. “Hello Robin. … As you are probably aware. This is merely a recorded message.” A sigh of relief entered out of Robin, he checked his face. His mask was off. What an idiot he had been, had it not been a simple message. His identity would most likely have been compromised.  “I can see that you’ve been busy as of late. Can’t ever seem to let go can you? What was it I told you so long ago? How we were both alike? Obsessive. Stopping at nothing to achieve our intended goals. But I digress, this is not meant to be a social call. I know you’ve been searching for answers. Answers that elude you just as I do.,” Slade continued.

 

Answers? What does he know? Or perhaps, the better question would be, what doesn’t he know _?_ The video kept rolling, “To prove this, just look at the screen in back of me.” Slade pressed a button from his wrist-guard and a screen behind him rose showing footage of the White Monster lumbering at a distance.”

 

“There’s no way…,” Robin whispered to himself. How can this be? They destroyed it. He was sure of it! “I’ve been watching this creature for some time now. You’ve made the mistake of declaring an early victory over an enemy you clearly underestimated. I also know a little more about a certain lost little bird.” He adjusted something on his wrist again and the screen changed to a viewing of Terra in her high school.

Slade then proceeded to turn off the screen behind him, “I am willing to share those answers… For an exchange of course. Here are the coordinates, you’ll find it once this message has served its purpose. Come alone, and if you refuse…,” The screen in back of him went up again to the video of Terra entering her house. With one of his robotic minions aiming a pulse rifle at her head. “I’m sure you could think of a few reasons why that would be a poor choice. I’ll give you until tomorrow to decide, if not I’m afraid you’ll have more blood on your hands” With that the screen turned black, and the computer rebooted itself. Just as Slade had spoken, a file revealing the coordinates of his location was appeared on the screen.

Robin kept staring at the screen blankly. For what seemed like an eternity, he just stared at the screen. Not moving an inch of his muscle, as if he had lost motor control for a moment and was paralyzed, stuck to his seat. The leader of the Titans was in deep thought, taking in what he had just witnessed. Slade knew just how to play him, like a puppet on strings. Robin briefly considered not showing up, but for what purpose? His weeks of research and investigation had yielded vain results. It also would put Terra in harm’s way. It occurred to him that Slade had opened a legitimate way of finding answers he so very much needed. Then there was that White Monster. Curse that abomination! There is no way it could have survived. Slade must have a double. Was he building an army of those things? No… No that made no sense. “Get it together Grayson.” Robin thought to himself. The creature had struck at random locations, and it seemed to flee every time they encountered it. This was unlike what Slade would have the capability to build. Everything Slade did had a preset goal, this seemed to be drawn by an instinctive desire. But what could that be? What did he mean by “more blood” on his  hands? Every answer Robin came up with only raised another question. What if he came alone and it was all a trick to catch him off guard. Slade could easily kill him and the Titans will be unable to stop him. But it could also cost the life of Terra, an honorary Titan at that. Sure, last time he saw her she wasn’t one of the “good guys.” “But she did ultimately sacrifice herself for the sake of us all” he reminded himself. This was a true fact and he owed her that much, even if  she cannot or won’t remember who she was to them.

 

There was no question he had to meet at the designated location. Slade had made his move… It was time he made his.

******************************************************************************************************************************************

The next morning, Robin called the Titans in for a meeting. One by one they entered in, not a minute behind schedule. Beast Boy being a heavy sleeper slept right through the Tower’s alarm. Raven gladly volunteered to get him up, walking into the corridors she knocked, but no answer came. Persisting She knocked again, this time more firmly. But again there was no answer.  Sighing, she phased into his room and the first thing she noticed was how surprisingly neat his room had been for once, Gar had come a long way from the typical irresponsible boy she knew and learned to care greatly for. She then turned to see him lying in his bed with his purple pajamas, snoring slightly.  For that moment, he seemed to be like a child wrapped in a blanket without a care in the world. It felt endearing to see him in such a harmless state. As she was about gently awake him, her eyes turned to see a framed photo of he and Raven that was took in their trip to Tokyo. It was during a festival thrown for the Titans saving the town, now normally she disliked pictures, unless she had her usual hoodie covering her face. So as an immediate reaction, she tore the picture to shreds with her telekinesis. She felt a small pang of regret when this seemed to upset him as he had acted simply out excitement within the moment, catching her off guard. So she told Garfield if they were to take a selfie, it won’t be with a hood over her face so they decided to retake the photo. That made his day and afterwards he always kept it. She allowed herself a brief smile that quickly faded when her eyes veered to see the heart shaped trinket next to the frame along with a row of photos of he and Terra when they visited the theme park.

Vexed, she unleashed her telekinesis and grabbed Garfield, phasing him through the wall and dropping him on the cold floor.

The sudden change in temperature awoke the green teen. “Woah!” Beast Boy yelped as he suddenly awoke to see Raven standing over him. “What’s the big idea??” Beast Boy cried a little startled. 

Raven looked on as Garfield lazily picked himself up, “Robin called for a meeting, you slept through the alert. Had to find some way to wake you up from your coma.”

“You know Rae, you could’ve just knocked” he said as he stretched and yawned. She was about to tell him that she had indeed knocked but decided it wasn’t worth the trouble bringing it up.

“Let’s just see what he needs” Raven said as she walked ahead of him. 

Entering the briefing room, Cyborg sat on the left and Starfire was on the right, naturally sitting next their team leader. Robin stood in front of the table, arms folded with bags under his eyes. His hair was a little less groomed than it normally was and he had that look. The look Beast Boy was so familiar with. It was the look he had when he had just encountered a massive problem and was still deciding what to do about it.   

“Thanks for coming.  If you didn’t know, I was up all night on an investigation to find any kind of lead on Slade...But instead. He came to me.” The Titans suddenly tensed up, looking like they half expected an attack to occur at any moment. All but Beast Boy, who just sat in his chair listening closely. 

“Somehow he hacked into our mainframe. If only for a moment, just to send a message. He told me that the thing we fought two weeks ago is still alive.”

At this Starfire spoke up, “Are you certain Dick? He may very well be pulling the fur over your eyebrows.” After saying this, everyone began scratching their heads in usion.

“I think Kori means ‘pulling the wool over your eyes.’” Raven translated, “He could be just trying to throw you off track and onto a wild goose chase.” 

“I thought so too… Until he showed video footage of the thing wandering somewhere near the factory where we cornered it.” Robin replied.

“He also told me that he is willing to exchange information on it and Terra; even telling me his location.” Robin continued.

Cyborg stood up quickly, “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s nab that one-eyed creep! It’s about time for a little payback if you ask me.”

Robin did not look as thrilled. He looked down briefly and let out a sigh, “If only it were that simple. There’s also a catch.”

“Aw man, why’s there always a catch?” Cyborg said as he sat back down with disappointment.

“He also showed me that he has his minions on Terra. Watching her every move. He threatened to kill her if I didn’t meet with him as of today.” Robin said this and turned to look at Starfire, “Alone…” He stretched his hand to grip Starfire’s hand into his. She squeezed it tightly.

“Uh uh. NO way. No deal. You are NOT going there without backup.” Cyborg responded.

“I agree with Victor, Dick. It's too much of a risk. A risk we cannot take” Raven added.

“Don’t you think I know that? But we have no choice. Every minute that passes is another that puts an innocent's life in danger!” Robin said with growing tension in his voice. “This isn’t a vote. I am doing this. But I’m not stupid either, if Slade has a back up plan so will we.”

“And what might that be?” Cyborg inquired.

“Simple. I’m not going in alone. Here’s the plan. Victor and Kori will be joining me in secret. Raven and Garfield will be on patrol, guarding Terra. If Slade makes one move, we’ll make ours. Now, is everyone all for this?”

“Sounds good to me. Anything goes wrong, I have your back Rob.” Cyborg said confidently.

“As do I.” Starfire concurred.

“You got it” Raven confirmed.  Beast Boy did not say a word in response. “And you Garfield?”

Beast Boy looked up and dryly replied, “Good a plan as any.”

Empathetically Robin walked up to him and in return said,  “Look Garfield. Believe me I know how this might feel. But you have to understand, you’re too close to this. I need you to be there for Terra, she’ll need you. Can you do that?”

Beast Boy just nodded in answer. He then put a hand for reassurance on his shoulder.

“Good, we leave in an hour” Robin declared.

**************************************************************** 

Raven and Beast Boy flew in silence. As they landed on a building nearby overlooking the school below them, seeing the students of Murakami High enter. Beast Boy got out a locator, and pointed in a general direction slightly above him. Cyborg had programmed it to specifically detect Slade’s robotic troops within 500 meters of a single area. No sooner had they arrived when Terra appeared being dropped off by her supposed caretakers. Raven used her empath abilities to focus on Terra’s emotions, if she sensed a kind of anxiety to which meant her life was in danger, she would know. With that they were all set, Beast Boy watched carefully, watching Terra as she enjoyed the company of her friends. It wasn’t long before Raven broke the silence, “I’m sorry.” 

Beast Boy turned to her and asked “What for? You didn’t do anything.”

“For how difficult this has been for you.”  Raven said.

“I’ll be alright.” Beast Boy said with sincerity before adding, “You know, I almost thought you were going to apologize for dragging me through a wall to get me out of bed.” He said with a smirk. 

Raven sneered, “Oh that i’m not sorry for”.   

This made Beast Boy chuckle a little saying, “well… I had to get up sometime.”

As Terra disappeared from view, Beast Boy put down his binoculars. He turned to Raven. “If you don’t mind me asking. How is she?” Beast Boy asked curiously. 

“It’s not my place to say, but…” Raven paused then said, “She’s… happy. That’s not something I ever really felt from her time with us. Not to say there wasn’t a time where she was ever happy. But this is the first time where it’s at its purist. She is content, she’s no longer at war with herself… It’s a peaceful feeling.” Beast Boy rubbed his eyes as they watered. Raven looked down at him, and asked “Are you okay Gar?”

Beast Boy looked at her and smiled, “Yeah… Thanks Rae.”

Just then the scanner started to beep loudly, Beast Boy immediately glanced at the tiny screen and 4 red dots appeared on the screen. “Alright Robo-Slades… It’s showtime.” said Beast Boy as he morphed.

*****************************************************************

Back at the location of Slade’s base, Cyborg had cloaked his car and hid it carefully behind a wall opposite side of the entrance to Slade’s old hideout; which was an abandoned tunnel that leads to the sewers. 

“Okay Cyborg and Star, this is strictly stealth. I will be entering through the elevator that leads to the lower corridors of the maintenance shaft. You will be entering through the tunnel which connects just slightly above the floor I will be entering to meet him.  Stay out of site and stay close, I have the tracer attached to my costume so you’ll know my location at all times. If anything goes wrong, I will give you my signal.” Robin explained. They had already heard this before, but he recited it just to be sure. Robin was the type to take chances, especially when dealing with the likes of Slade. “Now did I miss anything?” He asked as he prepared to leave.

Starfire grabbed him gently by the arm and said, “This.” before kissing him on the lips.

“Be careful.” Starfire said, as they broke off the contact.   

Robin held her head affectionately saying “I will. I promise.” Before reluctantly pulling away.  

“Right on Rob, we’ll be right behind you” Cyborg iterated as he patted his back. Robin nodded and proceeded to depart with much haste.  


*****************************************************************

At an half-constructed building facing the opposite site of the school a Slade bot took aim at a the window of Terra’s class. It awaited orders, keeping its cold fingers resting on the trigger, getting ready to fire the moment its master willed it. A green bird flew by the scope, the bot had little reaction but sat unadjusted. Then a massive green hand grabbed the scope, jerking it out of its hands, before slamming its fist into the face of the Slade bot, sending it flying across the room. Grabbing the top edge of the window, Beast Boy swung in legs first and landed forcefully on the bot, crushing it with his weight. Morphing back to his human form, Beast Boy took out his communicator and radioed, “Beast Boy to Raven, One down - three to go.”

Rolling her eyes a little, “I know it’s you Beast Boy, and I already have eyes on the two other bots” Raven radioed back as she flew over a truck parked across from the school. The two appeared to be on standby, unmoving as statues. “You’d think Slade would make it more obvious.” Raven thought to herself, as she whispered her mystical words, “Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos”. A arm made of shadow extended from her wrist and phased through the roof of the truck grabbing the two in one grip, the two bots struggled greatly but it was no use. Phasing again through the roof, she levitated them and smashed both their heads together with such force that it cracked their masks in half, revealing the ruined hardware underneath. The bot’s went limp and she tossed them into the dumpster. Smirking she imagined that maybe one day she’ll do the same to the original version. Picking up her comm, she radioed back, “Taken care of. Where’s the last one?” Raven waited for a response but got nothing but static. Sighing, “Raven to Beast Boy, did you find the last one?”, still static. “Beast Boy?” Raven said his name again. “Something’s wrong.” she said to herself as a knot formed in her stomach. “Something isn’t right.” She said again as she flew toward his location.

Beast Boy lay unconscious next to his communicator and torn pieces of a Slade bot. The White Monster stepped on the comm and crushed it beneath its foot. It moved to the open window and jumped out, landing heavily on the street with a rumble. No sooner had it done so when a bell rung, attracting its attention. Curiously the creature advanced toward the source of the noise: Murakami High.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh. Cliffhanger! Hello again folks! I hope you liked the latest chapter, because the plot is about to thicken. If you like my work so far, please stick around because there is more to come. And as always please leave a comment as feedback is always greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To readers of my fanfic. Update! I apologize for taking so long for the third chapter to be out. I have been preoccupied as of late with my personal/school life. It has cut into a large portion of my time and as such my stories have been delayed. But rest assured this does NOT mean that I am done writing the story. Far from it! There is much more to come! Hopefully now I can start to get chapters in on a more regular basis… If you’re still sticking around. Please do rate and review. Your feedback is very much appreciated.  
> Enjoy!

Terra was walking down the halls into her next period with her friends. She had been dealing with relentless headaches as of late. Her friends haven’t noticed, she knew that much. She had a talent for hiding things that bothered her. It sometimes made her feel isolated, she was new to the school and didn’t know many people she could talk to. “That's not true,” she thought to herself, “You talk to friends all the time.” She did have her two good friends Lizzie and Sarah, whom practically welcomed her with open arms upon her arrival to Murakami High. While she wasn’t inclined to rush her new found friendships, Terra greatly appreciated their fondness for her. If it weren’t for them, going to classes would be a dull experience. 

There was also her adoptive parents. She would describe them as unusually kind and hospitable to her needs, but they were always busy with their jobs which forced them to be away from home for most of the day. As much as she would like to open up to them, at the back of her head she couldn’t help but be reminded that they still weren’t her real parents. Whoever those were.

This reality sometimes made it difficult to connect with them no matter how well their intentions were. She guessed that maybe it's for the best for now and with time it will get easier. But today the headaches had gotten worse. So much so she almost stayed in. But she hated being stuck at home with nothing to focus her energies on, so she forced herself out of bed that morning, popped some pain pills and headed down the road she usually takes to get to school. At lunch, Her friends next to her were laughing and chatting away about a topic she couldn’t fully  
concentrate on at the moment. Something about a boy Lizzie had a crush on who hadn’t bothered to notice her several attempts to gain his attention, which Sarah and her friends considered baffling. After a few minutes, She told them that she forgot something back in the classroom and will meet up with them later. But instead, Terra headed towards the restrooms. She took two more pain pills and leaned over the sink to splash cold water on her face.

As she dried her face, she looked up to face the mirror. Only to see a man with a facemask and one eye appearing right behind her. Gasping, she whirled around to see that the man was not there. “Jeez...Now I’m seeing psycho terrorists now? I must be going crazy”. Ever since the “the accident”, her doctor had told her she might go through certain episodes that came with the process of recovery. Every now and then she would have nightmares that for some reason always involved The Titans and that one green boy she had met two weeks ago. 

“Get ahold of yourself Terra. The day will be over soon, then you can schedule another appointment with the doc.” Just as she was about to exit the room, a massive sound of a crash was heard that seemed to shake the building. The lights flickered, curious she peeked- from the restroom door and saw students everywhere running past her. She looked to the right and saw a car wreck along with the remains of a demolished classroom. She stood there frozen, seeing the chaos unfold as panicked staff scrambled in different directions. Looking past where the car was apparently thrown, she saw in the distance… The White Monster.

***********************************************************************

 

“This can’t be happening…” Raven thought to herself, as she hovered onto Beast Boy’s position at the 3rd floor of the building. 

The White Monster had somehow returned and was now terrorizing the school. Struggling to block out the sounds of the screams and pandemonium, Raven focused on what was her first priority. 

“We look after our own” she told herself as she rushed over to Beast Boy's side. He was on his back: still breathing. This relieved her for a moment. Picking him up from the back of his head while holding his hand, Raven whispered a few healing enchantments. Beast Boy stirred, before opening his eyes to meet Raven’s above him. Blushing slightly, he slowly leaned upwards as Raven held him steady. 

“Thanks doc…Knew I could count on you” Beast Boy said as he held his head with a groan. 

“What happened?” Raven asked as he brought himself to his feet. 

“One moment I was waiting to meet up and the next…” He stopped for a moment and stared at the gaping hole in the wall. Down below the gate of Murakami High had been torn open and people from the school were fleeing in all directions.

His eyes widened. “Terra! She could be in danger!!” He said with a panic as he turned to face his teammate. “What are we still doing here? We have to go NOW!” Beast Boy cried out as he made a break for it. 

Raven reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder “Wait! We need to think this through” She said firmly. 

 

“What are you talking about Raven!? Did you not see what I just saw??” Beast Boy said stricken. 

“I know, just listen to me. You have to remember. It’s just you and me against that thing that has been able to take us all at once. We need to call for backup.” She explained as she handed him her communicator. Beast Boy snatched it and quickly dialed Robin’s communicator. 

“Beast Boy to Robin! Beast Boy to Robin!! We have an emergency! Please respond!”. Nothing but static replied in response. Beast Boy kept at it, “Beast Boy to Robin! We have an emergency! We need your help!” 

This time a response came. “---To Beast-- I read--- We hav----Don’t---” the rest was garbled. 

“Say again? Robin? Robin!!” Beast Boy replied into comm. Beast Boy put down the comm and sighed. Frustrated he hurled it across the room. Raven telekinetically stopped it from hitting the wall before returning it back to her hands. “We’re on our own.” Beast Boy said grimly. 

“For now at least…” Raven added, “if we’re going to do this. Understand that we may not be able to win. Our aim is to to hold out.” Beast Boy looked at her and took a step outside the hole in the wall. 

“We can take him” he declared as he transformed into a Tiger; leaping out into the trail of wanton destruction. 

***********************************************************************

 

Her first instinct was to run as fast as she could, but she caught eye of one of her classmates she wasn’t particularly at good terms with struggling to get up. A locker had fallen on her when the vehicle was thrown through the classroom. She also caught sight of the shattered windshield and the few cigarettes that had fallen near a large puddle of gasoline, one of them had been recently lit. Knowing what was about to happen, she rushed toward the girl and began to lift the locker. Struggling with the weight, she yelled “Get out of here! NOW!” as the girl crawled out weakly. Terra then released her grip and the locker slammed to the floor. 

Yanking the girl up by the arm, “Run!!” she ordered as the fire began to ignite. Terra could feel the heat envelop the room as she and the girl ran as fast as their legs could carry them. The fire slithered through the hallways at an astonishing rate. The smoke thereafter activated the sprinkler system which showered immediately to douse the flames. But this did little to calm the onslaught of its spread. 

The White Monster plowed through the walls as if they were made of tissue paper, it ran through the fire and into the crowds of panicked students, plowing through six of them like a raging bull. Terra sprinted ahead of the beast as it caught up to lunge, ducking just in time it crashed into a wall that separated the cafeteria. Jerking to the left, she and a few others made a mad dash around the corner through another door nearest the exit straight ahead. As they approached the door, the wall to the right came alive, forming a kind of puddle with two arms stretching out to grab an unsuspecting boy. Terra thought fast and pushed him out of the way when it grabbed her arm instead. All of a sudden, an incredible sensation of pain pulsed from her arm and extended into her whole body. In absolute agony she screamed and went into a convulsion as she saw several random images flash through her mind. Three of which she recognized: The one-eyed man, a Tower, and the green Titan they call Beast Boy.

The horrified students backed away as The White Monster climbed out, holding her in a tight grip. It stared at her eyes coldly with its blood red pupils. Just when she felt as if she couldn’t take it any longer a spherical shape of dark energy clasped around its hand. For a moment the Monster seemed confused as its fingers one by one started to let go of their grasp. Releasing her, Terra fell to the ground as the beast was swung through the wall it came out of, crashing through various rooms. A woman in a hooded cloak suddenly phased through the ceiling above. She landed softly in front of them, followed by a green hummingbird. The green hummingbird suddenly enlarged and morphed into a teen. The bewildered crowd looked on in shock. 

“Everyone! Get to the exit now!” Raven ordered. Without hesitation the students ran through the exit that lead outside the campus. 

“Terra…” Beast Boy said, kneeling by her unconscious body , he lifted her up slightly. He turned to look at Raven. 

“I’ll keep her safe. Go!” Raven urged him. With that Beast Boy changed form yet again. This time into his Beast Form. He stood tall and strong, fueled with power of a primal kind. Raven had only seen this happen twice. Both times had been to save the ones he cared about most. Nodding to Raven, Beast Boy sprinted towards the area Raven had thrown the creature. Raven gently picked up Terra and carried her outside.

Beast Boy waded through the thick clouds of dust and smoke, sniffing the air trying to get a glimpse of a scent. Even with his acute senses however, it was comparable to trying to find a needle in a haystack. “This is it.” he thought, “Just you and me, and you’re the one who’s gonna go down”. Beast Boy looked down at an imprint in the ground belonging to the beast, he didn’t see anything around it, it was like he vanished after landing. Just as he examined it, he heard a sound behind him. Pretending not to notice, the thing behind moved closer. Beast Boy suddenly swung with all his might, smashing his massive hand onto the White Monster’s face. Proceeding to shove its head into the wall, the Monster reacted surprised. “Not so tough now when I don’t have my  
have my back turned huh?” Beast Boy thought. Using his other other arm he nailed it right across its face. As he prepared to hit again, the Monster suddenly grabbed both of his arms, and with astonishing strength ripped them away before head-butting Beast Boy on the nose. Beast Boy roared in surprise, swing blindly when he felt a series of blows to his abdomen and ribcage . Beast Boy lunged downwards but the creature sidestepped, grabbing him by the back of his neck and slammed him straight through the wall into the other side. Beast Boy got up quickly and kicked the Monster’s knees, it stumbled and Beast Boy went for a tackle. They both tumbled across the hallways splashing water everywhere, wrestling violently.

Pushing each other away, they both got up and collided into a lock of combat. For every hit Beast Boy dished out, the White Monster seemed to get two hits in retaliation. Beast Boy felt how heavy the cuts and bruises seemed to feel on his face and body. The pain of it only fueled him with more rage. Snarling voraciously, he broke through its defense and took a bite out of its shoulder. Seemingly reacting with a silent language of pain, The White Monster grabbed Beast Boy by the neck and with its left arm elbowed him repeatedly in his jawline forcing him to let go. Moving just as fast, Beast Boy leaped into the Monster and clasped it with both arms. Flipping backwards, he landed on top of it brutally hard. 

Standing on top of the Monster, it looked up as Beast Boy prepared to unleash a finishing blow. As his fist plummeted down to meet the Monster’s head, an explosion of water splashed over his body. This sudden burst in liquid blinded him momentarily, when he realized that the weight of the Monster underneath him had vanished. Whirling around frantically, he saw the Monster a few yards away from him. The Monster immediately shot a powerful jet stream of water above him. Looking up, Beast Boy saw the cracks in the ceiling begin to form faster, spreading like overarching branches. The weakened floors above were starting to fall apart, and they both were right below it. Realizing what it was trying to do, he ran as fast as he possibly could and lunged at his enemy as the ceiling collapsed.

***********************************************************************

The top half the building caved in on itself. Raven looked back in quiet distress, “No… he’ll be fine. He has to be” She convinced herself. What mattered most right now was to get “her” to safety. Raven thought about how they were able to find her so quickly. Beast Boy was too preoccupied with the attack on Terra’s school to notice that Raven had made a telepathic connection to her whereabouts. Somehow, she knew and felt what Terra had experienced the moment it had her in its grip. Picking up the pace, Raven headed to Titan’s Tower, the place that was once her home. The place where they can protect her without endangering the lives of others. The place where she can finally find the answers they’ve been looking for...

 

3 hours earlier...

 

Robin’s hand curled into a fist. In front of him was the enemy he has hated for so long. His one eye gave off a cold unforgiving stare that seemed to analyze his entire form and the slightest movement.  
“So do we have a deal?”


	4. Chapter 4

As Robin walked through the long cold corridors, he felt prepared… He had an alien from another world with strength they haven’t yet set a limit to, and the most powerful walking supercomputer. But in his experience, being prepared against Slade still made him feel uneasy as if it was a false sense of security. Robin knew that just because he had two powerhouses at his side, didn’t make him untouchable. He knew from personal experience, Slade had trained him to practically walk over the powers of his friends, using nothing but strategy and acute sense of timing. He remembered his brief time as the madman’s “apprentice”... This was the closest he ever got to capturing him, nonetheless he slipped through his entire team’s fingers. “ _ But even if he had been caught… What prison is there that can hold him? _ ” thought Robin, it was questions like this that he pondered over. 

 

Come to think of it, these were not far from what Bruce would sometimes confide in him about. The Joker had escaped custody once again and hatched a scheme on the 4th of July. After a month of eluding the two of them, He had caused a power-outage which encouraged the Gothamites to celebrate the 4th of July outside. By the time they had figured out what he had planned to do, hundreds were killed by Joker’s smilex when the firecrackers went off into the air. Men, women and children all victims to another brutal killing spree by the Clown Prince of Crime. He had never seen Bruce so infuriated as he proceeded to hospitalize the clown who had done so much damage to the city. Or maybe it was a combination of all that the psycho had done before and it reached its peak at that moment. Robin was never sure which. But now he understood what it was like to question whether or not to uphold the moral code. Unlike The Joker, he had never truly caught Slade but he had always wondered what he’d do if he did. Was that where Slade had the advantage? Somewhere between all the twisted plans, Slade had an endgame: To rid the world of the Titans. But the question that he asked himself was… What was his? 

 

The old hide out was a land of broken gears and rust, it was difficult to think of it as anything else. Taking a turn, he came across the dojo room where Slade had him undergo brutal training for his role as an apprentice. Robin winced at certain areas from memories of what seemed like yesterday. His thoughts were broken by a familiar voice. “Hello Robin… It's been far too long”. Robin whirled around, looking at every possible direction when heard a heavy thud of a boot

behind him. Turning, he saw the masked man staring straight into his eyes, with his usual unnerving calm demeanor. 

”So good to see you again” stated Slade as Robin stood his ground and faced his enemy. 

“Can’t say I can say the same Slade….” 

Slade’s eye flashed as he spoke,  “You know Robin… For some time now I have been thinking about you and me. How some day our battle will only allow one of us to walk away in the end. Sooner or later it will happen.”

“Whenever that is… I’ll be ready” Robin declared in defiance. “Some day… But not not today.” said Slade undeterred.

“I hear you have had your hands full lately… As you know. A former student of mine has returned at a similar time as the beast that is hunting her.”

“What are you talking about? What does Terra have to do with this?” 

As Robin asked this Slade’s eye flashed again this time with a hint of amusement. As if somewhere underneath that mask he was smiling. “Isn’t it obvious?... I know something you don’t.”

********************************************************************************************************

Arriving to Titans Tower, Raven lays Terra on a gurney and moved her to the medical room. Whispering words of enchantments, to help heal the bumps and bruises on Terra’s body. Taking a moment, she stared at the young girl lying before her. It was not too long ago that this same girl had helped a known terrorist bring the entire city to its knees, nearly killing her and the people she cared about the most. If she had been the same Terra as then, right here at her mercy, she may have considered the thought of ending her sad story once and for all. But that was in the past, she was not the same person. She paced around and wondered if it would be wise to leave her be to locate Garfield. Although she had a knack for controlling her emotions, she was awfully worried about the boy. Yet leaving Terra alone at the tower could break any sort

of trust she needed to build and therefore impede possible progress to finding the answers they needed. It would be more like a kidnapping then a rescue. “No… You need to be focused. He’ll be okay. He has to be.” she told herself. 

Putting her left hand on her forehead, she used her powers to gently awaken her former teammate. 

With a grunt, Terra slowly opened her eyes, and upon realization that she was not in a hospital she jerked upwards. “Where am I?? Who are you?? What’s going on?” She was frantic and squirmed at the telepathic restraints put on her.  

“Calm down.” said Raven, “you’re at Titans Tower. You’re safe here.” 

Terra looked unaffected by these words, “What about the school? My classmates! Did they get out??” 

“Don’t worry Terra… They’re fine. We evacuated the building. Far as I know, people are shaken but no-one was seriously injured. I also told police to inform your adoptive parents of your whereabouts. For their own protection and yours, you will be kept under our protection for the time being.”

 

Terra looked down, her breathing slowed and she sighed in relief. Then she looked at her with curiosity,  “How… How do you know my name?” 

Patiently Raven answered, “It’s one of the reasons why I brought you here in the first place. My name’s Raven, you may not remember but we used to know each other at one point.”

“Oh no not you too…” 

“Come again?”

“The other Titan. The green one… Beast Boy is it? He came to me, telling me the same thing. I will tell you what I told him. I don’t know you!” 

Raven took a deep breath, “Look Terra. During the attack on the school, the white monster. It got in contact with you is that correct?”

Terra rubbed her wrist…”Yeah…”

“I felt what you felt in that moment. The visions flooding into your mind at once? Too fast for you to even really comprehend. But it all was familiar… As if they were--”

“Memories...” Terra interrupted quietly. As if she was telling this to herself. “But…Why come after me? I’m nobody.”

Raven sat next to her on the medical bed. “Look… We can stop it from hurting anyone else. But we need your help. For you to do that, you need to trust us. Trust me. Can you do that?”

Terra seemed to take this to heart and said, “You’re the Titans. You save people. Of course I’ll help.” 

 

Raven nodded appreciatively. 

“Okay Terra… In order for this to work. You’ll have to allow me to join our minds. I know how it sounds. I won’t look at what you don’t want me see. Just understand, it’s the only way we can find out how you and I are connected to whatever this thing is. If I do this, I may be able to access memories that may have been blocked firsthand.”

“Like Professor X?” 

“Who?”

“It’s from a movie…” 

Terra hesitated…”Alright. Do what you need to do.”

Raven reached out and put her hand on her right temple. Taking a breath she whispered, “Azerath Metrion Zinthos” 

*************************************************************************************************************

“Whatever you’ve done with her Slade, I swear I will make you--”

“I did nothing dear boy… As I told your little green friend, the girl does not remember or use her powers because she chooses to. The monster hunts her because it is a manifestation of what was left behind. It desires to become whole again. But there are consequences to this action…”

“What kind of consequences?” 

“Whatever force that freed her from her stone prison would revert the process; Should she become reunited with the creature. Except this time it would be irreversible.”

“Even if this is the case. How can I trust that what you’re saying is true?”

“You can’t. But what you believe about the matter is irrelevant to the facts…”

 

“Then why go through all this trouble? Threatening her life? What do you stand to gain from telling me all this?”

“I’ve done my part. I do not expect your gratitude… Only a form of repayment” 

“Not interested…”

“Oh Robin… To think that you have a choice in the matter is amusing to say the least…”

As Slade said this, a growl of machinery echoed the room around them as if it was awakened from a deep slumber. Among the piles of rust and ruined gears arose Slade’s hidden minions: One after another they crawled their way out of what was an iron grave yard each carrying laser rifles. Quickly surrounding the room, dozens of them drew their weapons on the masked hero, awaiting Slade to give the order. Robin scanned the room around him and made a vague signal with his finger tips. Cyborg, hidden by top left side of the dark corridors read the signal and aimed his hand cannon at Slade’s head. Starfire floated discreetly across the hall, ready to shoot across the room like a bullet to grab Robin just in time for an escape. She had exactly one chance to do this… She and Robin had practiced hundreds of times before and she was ready to focus all her Tameranian physical prowess to zero in on her single target. All Robin needed to do was make one twitch of his right pinky finger and he would be in her powerful arms in an instant. The only difficult part of this maneuver was waiting for her moment. 

_ “Waiting when you are Rob… I got a clear shot.”  _ Cyborg said on comms.   

“You certainly don’t think I was naive enough to think you didn’t bring your friends?”

“If I go down Slade you go down too… And believe me, I’m ready to.”

Slade chuckled to himself slightly, “That’s precious Robin. But your life isn’t what you should be most concerned about. You see, at this very moment I could end the lives of the girl’s adoptive family with one push of a button.”

In Slade’s left hand was a trigger strapped to his wrist. Robin’s eyes widened when he saw it, he understood immediately what he had in his hand and he was horrified. “Ah yes. You recognize this device don’t you… It seems like yesterday doesn’t it?”

“Vaccination shots… Something all too common between this happy couple. All that traveling can be hard on one's immune system.”

“What have you done?”

“Nothing you’re not familiar with. Just a small dose of my nanoscopic probes as a healthy precaution. But that is merely one family of many who have been prescribed my special medication. If you aren’t careful, it could have unpleasant side-effects.”

“You… You sick twisted --- They’ve done nothing to deserve this!!” Robin exclaimed.

Ignoring this, Slade continued, ”This can be prevented. If you agree to my proposal.” 

Heating up with the stress of the situation, Robin was tense but kept his composure in the middle of the stand off. His hand shook when it curled into a fist.“I’m listening…” Robin said as he stared down directly to Slade’s shiny unblinking eye. 

  
  


*************************************************************************************************************

“Try to remember the first time you used your powers…”

“But how would I know?”

“Just try… I’ll be here each step of the way.”

Terra opened her eyes and stood in a hallway of a hospital, doctors were rushing everywhere past her as if she wasn’t there. Confused she was compelled to enter a room in front of her. As she reached for the doorknob, she couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of familiarity, as if she was a ghost reawakened to a past life. Slowly, she edged the door open with a creak, a bright light filled the room from the window ahead. Next to a window lay a young girl sleeping with a breathing tube. She was covered in bandages and her left cheekbone swelled with an aching bruise. On a table near her were several cards and flower cases of all kinds. Beside her on the far end of the room was also a boy not much older than her in a similar condition. Terra stared at them with curiosity and looked back at the girl. Her facial features were obscured but taking a closer look revealed the truth. She put a hand over her mouth as she gasped in disbelief. The girl she was staring at was herself.

Raven appeared beside her, and scanned the room’s surroundings. “Terra… Where are we?”

“Markovia, Europe… The boy next to me is my little brother Brion ” Terra answered almost automatically. “I can’t explain it… I just know…” Terra said while standing still lost in thought. Raven gazed at the broken girl lying on the hospital bed. Despite her injuries and body hooked up to various medical equipment, she seemed so peaceful. 

“There was an accident…There was an earthquake… I...We were caught in the middle of it while driving down a road”, Terra continued as her voice started to break… “Oh god… it's all coming back to me.”

 

Concerned, Raven put a hand on her shoulder, “Terra…. What happened here?”

“I killed my family.” Terra whispered softly. Raven stared at her in shock as her memories changed and the environment around them evaporated like a mist as she remembered what happened.

  
  


************************************************************************************************************

_ “Come on you rich little twerp! Let’s see what you’re going to do about it!” yelled a freckled faced chubby boy with a red beanie. He was holding Brion’s prized art journal out the window of the bus, he and his goons surrounded him in the tight space they were in. Terra looked on with growing anger as her little brother was being bullied yet again, only now it was on the way home from school. The driver did not care whatsoever so they had to deal with the madness when it came. Now,normally they were driven by personal limo, but this time they had decided to take the bus “Don’t please! I’ll do anything!” The chubby boy grinned and asked, “anything?”. Brion nodded. Chuckling the beanie wearing bully continued, “Huh… well how about a little cash bonus to that lunch money you owe me? _

_ “What for lard cake?” Terra interrupted, “ To blow it all at the buffet? If you get any fatter, your yearbook photo is gonna have to be taken from a helicopter!" The chubby kids friend's snickered. Turning red in embarrassment, “I take it as a no…” before tossing the journal out the moving vehicle.  _

_ “NO!!” yelled Brion as he lunged at him, punching the bully in the mouth. _

 

_ This immediately turned into a violent wrestle as the kids chanted “Fight fight fight” around them. The fat one was able get him into a choke hold and would not let go. The others then proceeded to kick him while on the floor.  _

_ “Stop it!” shouted Terra as her brother groaned with every hit landed. “Terra… help…” Brion pleaded through the arm around his neck.  _

_ “I SAID… STOP!!!!!” Terra screamed at the top of her lungs. When she said this ground trembled as the entire bus shook then swerved out of control smashing into five cars, before smashing through a building. _

_ Awakening in the hospital, she felt her body hurt all over, she was hooked up to the bed and was breathing with the help of a tube. It was at this moment where she understood the weight of what had just happened. At once her mind went to her brother, although not being able to move, her eyes darted frantically around the room. At last her gaze rested on a bed on the far side of the room, her brother lay in a similar position but with a cast raising his left arm. Just then, two men in dark suits entered the room. One was of thin frame and carried a notepad of some sorts, the other was a few inches taller and was speaking to the nurse. “What of the parents?” asked the man. The nurse took a moment and spoke grimly, “I regret to inform that the children’s parents were caught directly in the middle of the highway as it collapsed...We did what we could but they were never going to make it.” _

_ As Terra heard these words, tears started to form, streaming down her face.   _

_ ************************************************************************************************************* _

_ Brion took a deep breath and raised the ground in wave of earth that trampled the test droid from behind. From here, he morphed the ground into two enormous boulders that slammed together between the left over survivors, effectively crushing them. The last bot, built like a tank was impaled by dozens of rock-like tendrils rising from the ground, it was dragged to the floor. While it was held down, Brion leaped atop the struggling machine, with one motion he broke down the two boulders, forming a massive spear driving it into the machines chest piece, as he did this he expanded the rock from the inside, which caused the thing to become torn to shreds from the inside. _

_ “**Test Subject One seems to have developed an acute sense of destruction, although with unnecessary amounts of aggression. It could be a result of lessening the effects of the serum with which dampens his individual thought process. Consider a more balanced approach…**” wrote down The Director observing the young man.  _

 

_ “That would be all Mr. Markov. Thank you for an excellent demonstration. Please report to the Room 101.” a voice said from the intercom. Brion nodded and made a brief bow before exiting. As he did this, two guards held out a pair of cuffs. This was a sight Brion had grown accustomed to seeing after every training session. The cuffs were power dampeners that acted as a security protocol, they did not work on his sister because of her instability which made it impossible to  calculate. _

_ He and his older sister had been living at this compound for several months, from what was explained to them, it was a secret government project lead by a militant group by the name of CADMUS. They were investigating the growing “problem” of metahumans. Developing countermeasures should there be a need to defend their country from threats should the Justice League fail them or in the worst possible scenario, should they go rogue. Day after day, week after week, they were forced to undergo experiments to test the limits of their new found powers. For an unexplained reason, she was born with a rare gene that had manifested itself the day of the “accident” which granted her extraordinary power. They had traced it to the day the being known as Darkseid’s arrival to Earth and the subsequent invasion. He and his family had visited Metropolis during this time, Terra was separated from them and had accidently been caught in the middle of a radioactive explosion during the battle. Although she wasn’t hit by the full force, she had been in contact with the materials. According to the scientists who dissected them, this is what caused her to gain geokinesis. Ever since finding out the truth of what caused the “accident”, Terra had been terrified of her abilities. Not that CADMUS cared when they subjected her to their science projects. Using the studies conducted on her anatomy, CADMUS was able to duplicate the process on Brion as well, but only because the two were blood-related and therefore carried the similar genomes. Although he managed gain control of his abilities far faster, he did have the same potential she had but refused to tap into. Due to the paranoia of the “Meta Human Crisis”, and the fact that  They were both underage, the Markovian Government seized control of their estate; guarding it until they were of age to maintain control themselves. _

_ Walking through the darkened passageways, Brion entered the enclosed room,  the two men in dark suits, a general and three scientists sat at the round table while at the very front at a chubby dark skinned woman. She sat with an icy exterior that showed a level of intuition, like there was nothing in the world that could genuinely surprise her. She was the first to speak, “Hello Brion… My name is Amanda Waller, head of CADMUS. since the tragic incident that claimed the lives of so many ten months ago. You’ve done your country a great service by being a part of this program…”  _

_ “No offense ma’am. But it's not like I had much of a choice…” _

_ “True… But nonetheless your cooperation is appreciated. You’ll be happy to know that your time here has been cut short, and very soon you will be back to your old life.” _

_ “What about Terra?” _

_ “That remains to be seen. She has not progressed as far as you have. She may have to be contained a little longer” _

_ “I’m not leaving without my sister!” _

_ “As you said. You do not have a choice in the matter…” Waller calmly retorted, with a tone of slight annoyance. She continued, “In two days, you will be released from this facility. I will be returning by morning for a final assessment of both of your abilities. If she is capable of demonstrating control of her powers, she may have limited means to live a life outside the compound. Now… understand. We cannot allow her to walk away scot free if she’s leveling entire neighborhoods every time she encounters a stressful situation.”, explained Waller.  _

_ Brion soaked in the information he had just learned, and suddenly it became all clear to him what he had to do, “What… what if she can demonstrate tonight instead?” _

_ “It's on the head scientists here to decide. I will not be here to observe, but if there is a positive report, I’ll consider it as progress.” _

_ “Thank you. We won’t mess this up. I promise.” said Brion. Waller looked at him with an  _

_ expression of vague approval. “You’re quite welcome. Dismissed” _

 

_ As he exited the room he asked if he could use the restroom and the guards granted it. As he went into a stall, he overheard their conversation. _

 

_ “Man I think I had a little too much to drink.” _

 

_ “You can barely stand still and now you’re barely realizing that?” _

 

_ “I just feel bad for those kids. They don’t know that they’re never going home. It wasn’t the plan in the first place, what with Waller’s crazy plan to take out the Justice League” _

 

_ “Shut up man! What if he hears you?? Besides we’re not taking them out, we’re just preparing too if it comes to that!” _

 

_ “Who cares at this point?... Everyone outside of this base thinks they’re dead and It's not like we have a say in anything that goes on here.” _

 

_ As he overheard this, Brion’s heart sank. Coming out, he held out his hands as they put the cuffs back on. Being led back to the cell, they uncuffed him as he entered. Terra sat at the edge of the bed as she read a book, while listening to music with a pair of headphones. She barely noticed when the door opened and her little brother walked in to tap on her shoulder. This startled her but gained her attention she pulled off the headset and sat up immediately. “Don’t scare me like that!” _

_ “Sorry…”  _

_ “It’s okay. I just was getting to a good part!” _

_ “Don’t think I’ve read that book.” _

_ “What’s new? I never was much into reading either, but it’s not like there is much to do anyway. Honestly, you’re missing out on some good stuff here!  _

_ “Terra…” Brion said quietly, “There’s something I need to talk about.” Terra’s carefree expression vanished as he said this. He had grown up quickly since their arrival here, he no longer was the sweet little boy who was scared of hurting a fly. _

_ “What is it?” _

_ “I met with the Director.” _

_ “And?”  _

_ She said that we’ll be going home soon. But I overheard the guards earlier… I was just lucky enough. They never planned on letting us go home in the first place.” _

_ “They can’t do that! We’re the only heirs!” _

_ “That’s what I thought too but it turns out everyone else outside of this place thinks we died on that bus!” _

_ “We can’t let this happen. I won’t let it.” _

_ “I know… So that's why I made a plan. We’re going to do one last demonstration for today. I say last, because that’s what it's going to be. ”  _

_ “What do you mean?” _

_ “It means we leave… tonight.” _

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Two chapters in one sitting? And ANOTHER cliffhanger? Darn right on all counts. Hopefully it was worth the wait guys! Cause there is more on the way!


	5. Chapter 5

Teen Titans Season 6 : Episode 1 - Chapter 5

 

Muffled sounds and sirens screamed into Beast Boy’s ears, he was being dragged inch by inch out of the pile of rubble. The two firemen were pulling him by his forearms, he opened his mouth to speak and all that was heard was a light growl. This was enough to startle his rescuers; they promptly let go and Beast Boy was dropped head first. Realizing that he was still in his Beast Form, he reverted back to his original state. The men stood dumbfounded as his body morphed almost instantaneously into his lanky green figure. “Uh Hi. Thanks for the save!” He said gratefully.

“So… is everyone --”

“You’re Boy Beast right?”

“Actually its Beast Bo--”

 

“My kid loves you! She’s not gonna believe this!”

“You and that goth girl just saved a lot of lives today son!” stated the older fireman. “That monster or whatever it was came out of nowhere. Thanks to the Titans, no-one’s been seriously injured, except maybe the school. You should be proud to know that the city is indebted to you yet again.”

“No problem! It’s kind of what we do.” Beast Boy declared confidently. “Whatever happened to that thing?”

“When the building fell and after clearing the fire, we were able to dig you out of the wreckage. We never found whatever that thing was. Guess it never made it out.”

“Who was it this time? The HIVE? Hopefully not that one eyed psycho?

As he heard this Beast Boy’s expression on his face changed from relief to visible concern. He seemed to not hear the question as he walked past the two firemen. He was sniffing the air and began inspecting the area.

“Look we’re not here to interrogate the boy. He did his job and we did ours.” Assured the older fireman as he noticed the change in the teen’s behavior. “Don’t want us to call in some paramedics? You look like you took quite a beating son.”

Just as he said this; The ordeal he had endured began to weigh on him like he was carrying a sack filled with bricks. But his demeanor had not changed because of the aching feeling that circulated his body. No. He knew that if they hadn’t had found it or at least what remained, he would not be able to either, even with all his abilities.

“You alright kid?”

“Yeah… I’m fine. Thanks again.” With that he shapeshifted into a falcon and flew off with haste towards Titan’s tower.

“Wonder what that was about?”

_______________________________________________________________________

 

_The ear piercing sound of the alarm echoed throughout the facility. A mass of rock and granite was tunneled through the CADMUS observatory and the inner walls of the facility shook wildly. The two meta humans raced past the broken guards and devastated mechs. Brion had taken Terra for a “final demonstration” and as soon as they were given the chance let hell break loose on their captors. Pushing past several guards, Brion used his masterful manipulation of the earth to his advantage, he crushed the feeble attempts to impede he and his sister’s progress, having dismantled three waves of CADMUS troops, he took his sister by the hand and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. “You’ve always stood up for me and protected me big Sister. Now it's time for me to do the favor”. Brion thought to himself as they passed several hallways leading to a high speed elevator._

_CADMUS soldiers were at their heels, shooting taser rifles wildly. Brion turned and used the collected rock from the training room and formed it into a shield. Terra ducked behind the cover as they entered the elevator. As the doors began to close, Brion broke apart the shield into 4 pieces and launched them at their assailants. They were knocked back violently by the miniature boulders. One of the soldiers had switched to live rounds, and saw this coming just in time to leap ahead of the projectiles, ducking his head before the fourth piece could strike his skull. Reacting immediately, the soldier aimed right at the crack of the doors that was inches away from closing and pulled the trigger…_

_Brion didn’t feel the shot at first as the elevator shut and they began their ascension to the surface. But looking at his sister’s horrified expression yanked him back to an old familiar feeling: pain. Hot burning pain shot through his left shoulder and down to his forearm. The bullet had ripped a gaping hole straight through the wall behind him. He was bleeding profusely. “Oh my god, Brion!” she screamed as she went to her brother and examined the wound._

_“I’m fine. It went right through, I should be fine.”_

_“This isn’t like the movies we watched when we were kids! If we mess up, we can…”_

_“Die…” Brion finished for her. “I know. But it’s a chance we have to take! ” Saying this with a certain conviction that reminded her of how much he has grown in the past year. “We’re so close Terra…” he said as he winced at the bloody wound dripping down his arm. “I know you can’t control your powers… but please. You might have to if we’re going to get out of this.”_  
_Terra looked at him with fear in her eyes that gradually filled with determination not seen since that day on the bus. “Okay… If we go down. They’re going down too…” Brion nodded as Terra wrapped her arms around him with a tight embrace. The elevator reached the top of its destination and the siblings got ready for a final run._

_The doors slowly opened and Terra unleashed her geokinesis for the first time since their arrival. The ground below the troops getting ready to fire rumbled and wrenched open leaving a deep chasm that split in between the unit. Struggling in vain to remain standing, the soldiers looked to see the two metahumans walking on floating pieces of debris. The blonde girl’s eyes were glowing with power as she stood alongside her brother as they hovered past. For a moment, they were stunned by this display of might, but were able to recompose themselves fast enough to attempt a shot. Terra was able to sense this and caved the top half of the ceiling down on top of them. Making it to the other side: the two burst through the door, only to run into another large group of their relentless pursuers, darting to the right the Markov’s barely escaped the hail of taser-fire._

_Sealing the door behind them they turned to behold the main hall with the hangar door wide open, leading to the outside world; stretching to freedom. The entire area around them was empty and whisper quiet, as if it was holding its breath, waiting for them to make the first move. Terra’s eyes ceased their shine, she kneeled down to take a breather. Looking at her brother, he wordlessly communicated his message: “Keep going.” Taking his hand, they sprinted across, they heard the guards yell out orders behind them. Brion glanced behind them as a wide area of the walls separating the doors exploded. As the smoke cleared: a dozen guards spilled out, this time with what looked like a commanding officer. The Officer ordered something inaudible, and the CADMUS troops switched rounds. Not taking an immediate shot, he stood calmly before making a motion with his hand and the soldiers all in single file opened fire. Without thinking, Brion tackled his sister as he was struck._

_Frantically getting on her feet, she saw Brion crumpled over, where a small puddle of blood leaked out of the spot he lay. She was frozen in place and she didn’t even notice the trickle of tears falling down her eyes as the CADMUS troopers walked towards her. Each of them took their aim, but the leader held out a hand, seeing this they lowered their weapons. Taking out a pair of cuffs, the Cadmus Officer strode towards her but stopped dead in his tracks. Looking down the massive crack began to open up below his feet. Like dark roots, the cracks stretched all over the entire main hall. The Officer looked at the blonde haired girl, her entire body glowed with energy emanating from an aura that surrounded her._

_Panicking, the CADMUS soldiers began to shoot at her, but nothing was happening. But the Officer noticed something, all the bullets hovered in front of her. It was as if they obeyed her will when they dropped harmlessly. The entire building shook uncontrollably, and walking ahead of her fallen brother; Terra saw her captors back away in terror as she slammed her palms on the floor. As this happened, the ground rippled like an ocean caught in a storm, and the ground formed into a wave that sent the CADMUS followers flying across the room. Debris began falling from the collapsed ceiling and grabbing Brion’s hand, she carried him on her back as the CADMUS Research Center crumbled behind them._

********************************************************************************************

“I buried my brother in the mountain top that day and walked away… I walked for a long time until a farmer found me and offered to take me back to the city.” Terra said as the memory ended.

“And after that, you kept moving around from place to place. Trying to use your powers to help wherever it was needed, before you found us” Raven surmised.

“Yeah… I guess. It's still hard to remember a few parts.” Terra said with a tone of apathy as she attempted to grasp what she had just seen.

“I’m so sorry Terra… But you have to know. None of what happened was your fault. You did everything you could…”

“And it got the only family I had left killed...Because of me” She uttered as her voice started to break. “I didn’t remember any of this, but now I do. How could it be worth it to know that you’re the reason why people are gone.”

“It is worth it. To know how important you were to the people that loved you. Brion died to protect the only person in the world he cared about. The Titans are my family and I would’ve done the same.

“Why do you care? You barely know me!” Terra cried out. Raven moved closer to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Because you’re a Titan.” Raven affirmed with a small smile. Terra was speechless… But the words touched her heart and with it returned an old feeling she hadn’t felt for a long time. A sense of belonging to a cause greater than her own. Yet she couldn’t understand it try as she might. It was all still new to her, and from what she had heard. There was still more to her story then she realized.

“Now… Let me show you. What I remember.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“You’re insane.” accused Robin.

“If memory serves… I don’t remember asking your opinion on the matter… Only cooperation” Slade retorted. “One life or many. Your choice.”

“Why? Whats Jericho to you?”

“That is none of your concern. A location is needed, nothing more.”

“Don’t do it Rob. You can’t give in, for all you know he’ll kill those families anyway. We need to take the shot now!” Cyborg whispered with urgency on the comm link.

Robin stood contemplating his decision as a knot formed in his stomach. If his memory served, Slade would never do something unless it would achieve his goals in some way. Murdering innocents was never beneath him, but it was not what he would act on if his demands were already met. The Titan’s knew the risks when they joined their cause. It was always there lives before anyone else's; even if that meant sacrificing themselves for the sake of the greater good. After a moment, Robin spoke up. “Alright.”

Cyborg with frustration; Seeing his friend give in to the demands of a man that had caused so much pain in their lives. The temptation ate into his mind, all he needed was a single well-placed shot and he’d be down for the count. He was sure of it, because not even Slade would be able to dodge his sonic cannon in time. Than, Star would swoop in before his backup could have a chance to react. From there it would just be cleaning up the leftovers. It all made sense to him, there was at least a ninety-five percent chance of success calculated. But if he knew Robin, he would always consider that five percent and for all he knew that's all Slade needed to pull the trigger. But still, could they take the chance and end this here and now? Or would that just end up to be blood on their hands? Weighing the options and possible scenarios, Cyborg shifted his position slightly with the cannon ready to go off at any second Robin gave the command.

“But on one condition. You spare the families lives”

“I am a man of my word Robin. You should know that by now”

After a pause in hesitation Robin gave in,“Tibet Summits. That’s where you can find him.” Appearing pleased, Slade signaled his troops to back down as he strode away. “So is that it?” Robin inquired as Slade stopped mid-step.

Turning half-ways he answered, “A deal's a deal. The citizens are yours to save.” Holding out the trigger out in front of him, “As you might think, their very well- being still hinge upon a simple reflex of my finger tips. Much like mine was to yours.”

“I don’t know what you’re getting at.” Robin answered, keeping his composure. Slade chuckled, and then without warning: He jammed his thumb on the trigger; activating the probes...

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

The shot of the sonic cannon exploded in a radiant blue light that encompassed the room. Slade grunted in surprise, grasping his smoldering hand as his device fell to the ground in ruin. Robin did not have time to react as Starfire swooped in like a bullet, grabbing him just in time as Slade’s bots shot in unison. Shielding her partner from the stinging blasts, Starfire flew to the far end of the hide-out, dropping down into cover.

“Robin! Are you okay?” Starfire asked with concern, gently laying her boyfriend near a pile of rusted metal. Slade’s minions fired relentlessly at their position.

“I’m okay Star, we can’t let him get away!” Robin declared with growing admonition. Quickly jumping to his feet, he threw a flash bomb from behind the metal blocking their way. With their vision temporarily blinded, Robin dived out and hurled his birdarangs which stuck into the heads of two robotic soldiers. As they staggered, Robin detonated the birdarangs. As this happened Starfire rocketed upwards and shot a barrage of starbolts onto the mob, forcing them to retreat backwards. When they did this, Cyborg came down like a meteor and ground pounded right in the middle of the soldiers.

As the brawl ensued, Robin spotted Slade in the middle of the chaos attempting to slip away. Robin took out his bo-staff and tore through four of Slade’s soldiers with a ferocity he didn’t quite know he had. They weren’t human, so he was free to cut loose without holding back and he was not about to let his nemesis escape unscathed. As he downed two more, Slade started to sprint through the darkness of the inner halls. Robin made a mad dash after him as his two friends continued the battle.

_____________________________________________

A dark vortex of energy surrounded the two women as they were transferred into Raven’s mind. Several thousand images blended in front of Terra’s eyes, making it hard to make out what they were. What she did notice quite a few of them were of Beast Boy. Eventually the memories morphed together and what she saw wasn’t what she expected: It was the day of her return to the Tower.

_“So… which team am I on?” Terra said standing on the land mass floating in place. Elated, Starfire and Beast Boy were the first to react; literally sprinting to greet her. Starfire was able to reach out with open arms and nearly crush her with an embrace._

_“Oh hello long lost friend! You remember me, yes?” She said as her grip tightened around her._

_“Of course I remember you Starfire- I - I still have bruises from the last time you hugged me.” Terra said while gasping for air. Just in that moment, Beast Boy went up to her tongue tied._

_“Terra! You’re… I mean… What’s up?” He said stammering. Terra simply smiled as she hugged him tightly, and upon letting go she pinched his cheek gently which made him blush._

_Leaving the green teen to recover from her sudden affection, she walked up to Robin and Cyborg. “Well if isn’t my favorite rockin roller!” Cyborg exclaimed, giving her a high five._

_“Cyborg! Robin! What’s shaking?” Terra said in excitement._

_“Good to see you again!” said Robin. Overcome with excitement Beast Boy exclaimed, “Good? Is he kidding? I think it’s GREAT to see you again! I didn’t think I’d ever see you again!” Running over to Raven, Beast Boy shouted “Raven wake up! Terra’s back! Isn’t it awesome?”_  
_Raven unimpressed simply said, “Super. Just help yourself with whatevers left in the fridge and don’t forget to lock the door before you leave.”_

_“Wow. Guess we were the best of buddies back then? Terra said sarcastically. Raven smirked, “You can say we had a rough start. But there was an attack on the island shortly after your visit. We needed your help to save it. That’s when things started to get better.”_

_A large snake shaped drill tunneled above the heads of Terra, Raven and Robin. Slade had intended to bury the home of the titans under a mountain of rubble. Quickly running out of options, the three titans desperately fired everything they had the drill. Raven her telekinetic blasts, Terra using various parts of the rock mass around them, and Robin his explosives. But this did next to little to stop its advance. “Not even a scratch! If we can’t break the drill, hacking this computer is our only shot at taking it down.” Robin yelled with frustration as he rushed to the keyboard of the machine. As he began to press the keys needed for shutdown, Slade appeared out of nowhere and kicked Robin away, sending him flying down the narrow bridge behind them. Slade then lunged at Robin yet again and the two struggled as they entered the elevator. Raven and Terra ran after them, but before they could catch up Robin called out saying, “Forget about me! Shut down the drill!!” Slade responded by activating the power to the elevator sending it rushing upwards._  
_WIth Robin out of the picture, it was up to Terra and Raven to take charge of the situation. “We have to hack in.” Raven declared as she ran ahead to finish what Robin had attempted earlier. Terra thinking quickly grabbed a massive boulder, levitating it in mid-air above the controls. “Why hack when you can smash!” Raven reacting immediately, caught it just before she could sent it crashing down. “NO! We don’t know how this thing works! Destroy the controls, and we might never be able to stop it!”_

_“ Or we might stop it sooner and save our home! Why can’t you just trust me?_

_“Because you don’t deserve it! I have to meditate every day to control my powers. And you expect me to believe that you can suddenly control yours? Trust has to be earned!”_

_“How? How do I earn it?”_

_“You can start by trusting me!” Raven declared._

_Terra hesitated for a moment, but obliged and rested her powers. The boulder fell harmlessly near the controls. But just as Raven attempted to hack into the system, another piece of rock even larger than the first plummeted onto the control scheme: completely crushing it. Raven tackled Terra out of the way of the falling debris just in time. In a matter of seconds, the drill sped up its pace and the ceiling of stone up high started to collapse._

_Raven looked up and decided the only practical solution was to get out of there as quickly as possible. They had lost their home. The least they could do is they can live to fight another day. “We have to go, there’s nothing we can do now.” Raven said with finality. Terra’s eyes glowed, standing her ground saying, “Yes there is! Trust me!!” as unleashed her geokinetics yet again and exerted force to hold up the collapsing above them. It was strong enough to cut through the bottom half of the drill like tissue paper. Momentarily shocked at this sudden display of her abilities, Raven snapped into action to help her fellow ally. “Azerath, Metrion Zinthos” She chanted as she focused her energy. Combining their power together, it seemed to do little to stop its movement. Concentrating harder than she’s ever had before, she pushed with all her will and so did Terra. The unbelievably heavy mound of rock started to move, little by little it was moving upward. Raven could hardly believe it was happening, but she didn’t have time to reflect; sweating bullets she exerted her power further. Eventually the mass of land that is her home rose up. They both melded the pieces of earth back together and sealed it so it would not sink._  
_Raven wiped the off the sweat from her brow and took a breather. Terra leaned against the railing out of breath. The two then started to laugh in near usion. They sat there for some time still in hysteria over their achievement._

“Things changed after that. And..”

“I remember now.” Terra said with a bold look on her face, “I remember everything.”

“It did get better. But after… I did something terrible. To you. To everyone.”

“You did. But in the end you saved us. You saved everyone. But not without a cost…”

“I died…” Terra concluded. She said it as if it was a recent memory. Like it all happened yesterday.

“So you understand now? Why Beast Boy --”

“Why he did what he did” Terra finished. It was a lot to take in for the poor girl. Emotionally she was exhausted, but at the same time her demeanor seemed to change. She was no longer a confused high school girl with no direction to serve other than the mundane requirements of daily life. A feeling of vigor had returned to her, as if a spark was lit inside and she had reached a certain kind of self discovery. “And why that thing is after me. I created it didn’t I?” Terra said as this realization came to fruition. Raven said nothing, but waited for her to speak.

“I remember, a bright light. Feeling cold and pitch black. Then nothing. As if I was sleeping. No dreams. Just an endless void of nothing. Then I was awake. A man reached out to me… But I couldn’t see his face. Next thing I know I’m at a hospital bed. A doctor telling me about a car accident. All of a sudden I had these memories… that I guess never happened. They feel so real, but they never actually happened.”

Raven looked at her empathy. “Sometimes the mind can create a whole other identity as a means to cope. But it doesn’t explain who your parents are...or how they…” Raven stopped mid sentence. She looked pale.

“What?”

“Terra. You said someone reached out to you… Can you try to remember what he looked like.”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t really conscious during the time. What does it matter?”

“Just try. Try to remember.”

“I… “

Raven put her hand on her head and opened her mind. Terra gasped as Raven’s power suddenly surged through her body yet again. She kept replaying the moment she was freed from her tomb. Someone was indeed there that day. Raven had a feeling she knew. It would explain a great many things. But she needed to know for sure. Gradually the image began to clear. The shadowy figure that stood over Terra reached down to pick her up and right then, her assumption was correct. Terra gasped as she finally remembered why she could not remember his face. He didn’t have one. But he had one distinctive feature. The shadowy figure had a mask and with it was a single unblinking eye.

“Slade…” whispered Terra.

“Unfortunately. Just as I suspected.”

As she thought. Slade had gotten to her first. But as far as she could tell. He did nothing but fabricate a whole new world for Terra. But why? What possible reason could he have? It just didn’t add up. Did he actually care for her? Even if it was in his own twisted way? Whatever it was, she had more than enough information to report back to Robin. Perhaps with Terra’s reform, they are closer to finding out how this is all connected. There were still questions that had to be answered. But they know more then when they started and that was good enough for now.

“What now?” Terra asked.

Raven looked at her a bit more relaxed. “We wait for the Titans. This isn’t over Terra. But it's going to get better. I promise you.” As she said this, her mind went to Beast Boy and she quickly got out her communicator. But Terra tapped her shoulder and turned her head to gaze into the sky under the fading glow of the sun. She saw faintly a green falcon flying towards them and Raven smiled.

“It’s going to get better.”

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Robin turned the corner of the dark halls and was met with the sound of Slade’s footsteps fading away. Sprinting in the direction of the echo he finally caught up to him. Slade had stopped dead in his tracks at the edge of a cliff. It was the two of them and Robin wasn’t about to give him a chance to react. The boy wonder proceeded to throw a birdarang to which Slade snapped in his right hand mid-catch. Using this momentary distraction Robin tackled him, and punched his mask with all his might. Slade countered and gripped Robin’s arm forcing him down to a headbutt right at the bridge of the hero’s nose. The pain made Robin stumble backwards as Slade’s boot met his abdomen. The two enemies were locked in a brief stare down before charging into martial combat. Knowing he cannot equal his rival’s speed or strength, Robin instead had to rely on the technique Bruce had taught him when facing an opponent such as this. The young Titan remembered a story that Bruce told him about an old friend of his that he played chess with. It was hard for Robin to ever think of Bruce failing at something, and even if he somehow met loss, he’d view it as a small victory to a greater one ahead; a learning experience. It was this “old friend” that taught him one of the most important lessons in warfare. “Think like your opponent - act as they would - and in doing so… without becoming the enemy”.

Slade’s approach to fights was a finely tuned technique combined with brute force. Although unable to match the latter’s superhuman feats, he could be as unrelenting. Therefore forcing Slade to remain on the defensive, whereas Robin would have to keep up the pressure so as not to allow the one-eyed villain to break his ground. While Slade’s defense was not impenetrable; it was crafted to counteract any attack. As Slade made a counter move, Robin reacted with a maneuver that kept him locked on the offensive. He could not allow Slade to flip the tables, and pushing his way through, he continued his assault. However, Slade caught on almost instantly and used this to his advantage, using precise strikes to disorient the hero made him react aggressively. Slade braced himself and allowed Robin several strikes to his body and face mask: as he gained confidence, Slade moved to crush it. With an opening made and Robin exhausted momentarily, he dove into the fray with a barrage that sent the Titan to the unforgiving ground. Leaping, Slade roared in fury as his fist came down like a meteor. Seeing this, Robin rolled away just in time as his hand caved into the stone. Undeterred Robin responded immediately with a heavy roundhouse that landed so hard that Slade’s neck jerked unnaturally to the left. Surprised, Slade struggled to recover from this unusually brutal hit. “This is it. I have him on the ropes! Have to act NOW!” Robin thought as he charged: ready to deal the final blow. Swinging with everything he has, a cracking sound rip into the air, and Robin’s first thought was that he may have crushed the gear holding Slade’s mask together. But it wasn’t. It was his three fingers.

Slade had caught Robin’s punch and in doing so he broke his bones. A feeling of indescribable pain filled Robin’s nervous system; he opened his mouth to let out a cry of agony but Slade’s other hand gripped his throat. Slade then slammed the young hero on the hard surface near the edge of the cliff. Slade then wrapped both hands around his rival’s throat; Robin gasped as his air supply began to evaporate. “No matter what you do. Nothing is going to stop what’s about to happen...” Robin held on tightly to Slade’s wrists, struggling to loosen the iron hold he had on him but it wasn’t budging; he could only helplessly look into Slade’s cold stare as his strength was sapped away from him. “You always knew it was going to end this way. Now just close your eyes. It’ll be over soon…”

Robin’s eyes grew dark, his end was only seconds away. "I'm sorry Kori..." he thought as his life started to fade.

But suddenly a brilliant glow of green blinded him and the sound of an explosion blasted through his eardrums. Slade stumbled forwards and fell ahead of him off the cliff. Getting to his knees, Robin coughed violently, gasping as oxygen began to fill his lungs and his hearing returned. He saw Starfire floating with her eyes shining brightly with power flowing within her. This color faded as she rushed to his side. Coughing, Robin reciprocated her embrace as she clung to him tightly and her eyes began to water. “When you stopped moving… I thought.. I thought he…I thought I was too late” She said as she trembled in his arms. “It’s okay Star. I’m okay… You’re here now. That's all that matters.”. Even after saying this, Starfire held on tighter. Robin let out a cartoonish grunt from the pressure.

As they sat there, Cyborg approached. Cyborg’s gadget formed from his forearm and began to scan the area. He frowned, and looked at Robin. Robin gently pulled away from Starfire and asked, “I know what you were doing. Did you find him? Is Slade still here?” Robin asked fervently.

Cyborg sighed and shook his head, “Thermal scans show zero trace of him anywhere near the surrounding area. It’s like the guy’s a ghost.”

“Then it’s far from over. Let's meet back at the tower.” Robin said as he pulled out his communicator. “Robin to Beast Boy! Come in Beast Boy!”

“Robin! Robin! I read ---” the voice of his teammate was garbled out by static. Robin shook his head in annoyance.

“Signals too weak. We’ll meet up at the Tower. Let’s move out!” commanded Robin. “Woah there!” Cyborg protested, “You alright man? Let me take a look at you, just in case there isn’t anything too --”

“I’m fine. We need to meet back with Raven and Beast Boy so we can plan our next move. We shouldn’t waste any time.” Robin replied as he walked on ahead without even looking behind him.

Cyborg looked over at Starfire whose eyes met his. He shook his head at her and began to follow after him.

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Meanwhile…

Slade stood on a hill overlooking the horizon. They would not find him he thought. Robin had admirable skills but there was a reason why he had been able to avoid capture for so long. He always was a step ahead. It was a habit that Slade had perfected. Starfire’s starbolt had burned through his armor and lapped at his skin. Inside his mask, he gritted his teeth. He knew the burns would not heal completely. They were forged from somewhere not of this earth and beyond his capacity to fully understand. But he did not care. Pain was a reminder that he was alive. A reminder of his purpose. Everything he did was personal. While the Titans had overturned his plans of conquest he had yet another reason to continue the torture of his sworn enemies.

For closure. He will never stop making them pay for taking what was his. Even if in the end it costed him his life. He reflected to himself how lucky he was to return to the land of the living. He knew for sure that he had died but it wouldn’t stay that way. Fate had other plans for him. At first. He thought it was to serve a greater cause, the cometh of Armageddon in the form of Raven’s father. But being drunk with newfound power he was granted had blurred his vision. He was no-one’s servant and he bowed to no one. Not to Trigon The Terrible. Not to man. Not even to God, if there was such a being.

After Trigon’s demise, he had went into hiding. Planning his next move. To end the Titans. It wasn’t enough for them to face a direct threat. He knew this from experience. Time and time again, they had overcome the most extreme of odds. They would fight to the very last. It was what made them such worthy opponents. It had to be different this time. They must be broken down piece by piece. From outside as well as from within. It was for this reason why he also knew why the Brotherhood of Evil would ultimately fail. As he predicted, shortly after their final stand: The Brotherhood collapsed and ever since then, no organized vessel of crime had dared to challenge The Titans once more. So he had allowed them to enjoy a brief era of peace. To feel safe and secure before he ripped it away from them.

However. Out of all the Titans there was only one that he had no reason to hate. Ironically it was the girl that took his life: Terra. She alone had accomplished what so many others had tried and failed to do. Completely and utterly defeating him. She had won. He had lost. It was that simple and with it she had gained his respect. Her return was a surprise to him. He never would have predicted her resurrection. But he knew this event would not go unnoticed. So he used this as an omen -- to bring his plans to motion.

He created androids used from experimental CADMUS tech to ensure Terra’s new life. They would serve as her parents. He had taken her from her weakened state and constructed new memories to replace the old. Then after using his vast source of connections, Slade had wiped out any trace of evidence that the young girl existed. Including her hand in the fall of Jump City. After this it was a matter of constructing an entirely different identity. She could have her own normal life. At least for a time. For all she had done in her past, she deserved this. Even if it was a fantasy.

But like all things. It was not meant to last. His plans were already underway and there was no going back. Taking one last look at Terra’s house. He made a motion to his troops and they set it aflame. The fire quickly encompassed the building and within seconds it was set ablaze. The thick smoke rose to the sky like a storm cloud that blocked out the sight of Titan’s Tower as the sun set in the distance.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait guys... Life can have a way of getting in the way of the writing process -_- Anyway here's the latest chapter for my fic! Thanks everyone for your patience! Please review because this is a big one! - Enjoy!

Beast Boy landed at the entrance of the giant T, he transformed to his human form and sighed. Everything seemed to go wrong so fast, The White Monster attacked Terra’s school and they were no closer to figuring out how to beat it… If it can be beaten at all. “No, don’t think like that. We’ve dealt with harder things. It always seems bad at first and then we always find a way.”, thought Beast Boy. But the young boy couldn’t stop thinking back to Terra. He couldn’t help but worry and all he really wanted was to make sure that she was okay. Whatever that thing was, it’s clear now that it’s after her and it has to be stopped one way or the other. The injuries he sustained battling the White Monster had started to have an affect on him. The bruises started to form and harden which made his whole body feel about as durable as a grape. This wasn’t the first time he had suffered this kind of damage doing his job as a big-time superhero, but it’s not something he’d gotten used to. It hurt to move as he entered into the tower, quietly cursing as his limbs ached when making the slightest movement. It’s times like these where he was thankful for Raven’s healing abilities that were irreplaceable to the team. There were too many examples to count where had Raven not been there, the injuries the Titans sustained would have put them out of commission for weeks to come. Instead, with the help of Raven, they would all make a solid recovery in a matter of days. Keeping this in mind he walked through the halls of the Tower, he heard Raven’s voice faintly as it echoed from the room ahead. He also heard another voice. Curious, he transformed into a Bloodhound and tuned in to the sound and realized that the voice belonged to Terra. Immediately transforming back into human form he had to restrain himself from entering into a full on sprint. 

Upon reaching the door he practically shoved it open which startled the two teenagers. Raven was the first to react, “Garfield! You made it” she said as she walked over to his side and gave an unexpected hug to which he recipercrated with some embarrassment. It was unlike Raven to show any kind of emotion this way, unless it was her unusually perky version within her own mind. Nonetheless he was happy to be welcomed back with literal open arms. Pulling away from Raven, he stared at her awkwardly. “Yeah… I guess I did.” said Beast Boy. Terra remained silent. 

“What happened with the Monster?” Raven asked curiously. Beast Boy paused for a moment and spoke, “I… I don’t know… We fought and then It--it just slipped away. I can’t track it. And --”  
“It can be literally anywhere” finished Raven. She rested her palm on his shoulder and said, “It’s okay… Terra has her memories back and we figured it out.”

“Figured what out?” Beast Boy inquired.  
-  
“What it might be.” Raven answered patiently. 

 

“And?”“I I think I’ll let her explain that part to you.” Raven said with a certain twinge in her eye which Beast Boy vaguely noticed , “I’ll patch you up whenever you’re ready.”. She then stepped out of the room, opening up her communicator leaving the two of them alone. In Beast Boy’s mind he was hoping Raven wouldn’t leave, but the air had to be cleared somehow. He needed to know. 

Unsure how to approach the girl he once had such strong feelings for, he stood in place as if his feet were nailed to the ground. There was one time where if someone asked him if he loved Terra he would have said “yes” without thinking twice. But now he wasn’t sure if he even knew what that meant. He was only sixteen years old, he had his whole life ahead of him to try to understand the depth of a word like that. Sure, he knew of platonic love and a sense of belonging to a family; the Titans were family to him, even more so than the Doom Patrol who had took him in first all those years ago. But what always peaked his curiosity was the romantic type of love. He had seen it so many times in movies as well as tv shows. It was something he had always wanted to experience. Beast Boy remembered that he had almost had it in his grasp that night back at the carnival… Until Slade showed up. Maybe that was yet another reason why he hated the man so much. Beast Boy had faced many villains in his life, The Brain, Madame Rouge, General Immortus, Brother Blood, and the interdimensional demon known as Trigon who literally destroyed the world until Raven reversed the effects by erasing him from existence. But none of them had been able to hurt him the way Slade had… and in a sense, the way Terra had. So facing her again after she had broken his heart twice had given him a sense of anxiety from the familiarity of it all. 

“Hey…” said Terra who stepped closer.

“Hey”, Beast Boy said with shyness. There was a brief silence and both of them were waiting for the other to make the first move. 

“I… I guess I should start.”, I remember everything…” 

Beast Boy was taken aback at this, “You… you do?”

“Yes…”, Terra acknowledged with a somber tone, “When I saw you for the first time again back at the school… I recognized you. But I…”

“But you didn’t want to…”, Beast Boy answered as gravity forced his eyes downward. Slade’s words echoed in his mind, “she doesn’t want to see you anymore”. 

“Garfield… I had these headaches and visions… They were all painful and I didn’t know why. It’s hard to explain but I had to. Please understand… I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“But you did… You died Terra. Do you have any idea what that did to- to us… to me?” Beast Boy spoke while struggling to keep his voice from breaking. Terra said nothing.

“I never gave up on you!” 

I know…”

“Then why did you give up on me?” Beast Boy said. His voice was breaking but he was determined not to let tears fall from his eyes as he stared at Terra’s.

Terra looked at him with guilt. She saw the hurt in his face and it felt like a jab to her heart. Raven gave her back her memories but also the pain with it. When she joined the Titans she knew almost immediately how Beast Boy had felt about her. She couldn’t confirm it but somehow she always knew. She just didn’t know if she deserved it. But Terra allowed herself to believe she could have it all, until Beast Boy betrayed her trust or at least that’s what she thought was the case. Slade had gotten into her head; taking advantage of her emotional and mental instability so he could bend her to his will. She remembers what Slade had asked of her… telling her that the Titan’s had taken something precious from him, that he had to make them pay and he wanted her by his side to do it. Whether or not this was true she wasn’t sure, but even if it was, it only served a means to an end. Yet in a twisted sort of way she felt a bond with him. Despite all his schemes, she couldn’t help but view him as a father she never had. She trained with him for eight long months in which she was able to master her abilities to an extent she didn’t think possible. He had given her something no-one else had since she unlocked her powers and that meant something to her. It was around this time that he showed a tenderness to her that she thought he was incapable of. Terra remembered it clear as day.

“That’s it. Focus. You’ve honed your senses and have spent blood, sweat and tears to get here. Don’t let it go to waste.” Slade commanded as Terra struggled against the small mountain in front of her. Slade had given her a seemingly impossible task: to split apart the massive mound of rock and earth in the wilderness of Nanda Parbat. Her eyes glowed with the power of her geokinesis and it felt like her body was slowly being crushed by the enormity of the task. Her face was turning red with beads of sweat raining down from her forehead. But she couldn’t do it. She fell to her knees exhausted. She knelt there and awaited Slade’s punishment for her failure. But this time he didn’t lay a hand or ill word to her. He just stood there, without moving a muscle, his hands behind his back in a straight posture. Somehow this terrified her and puzzled her at the same time. Then he spoke,  
“I know the rage inside you. You fear it because you’re afraid of losing control… But if you can become one with that rage - you can summon more power than you thought imaginable. Embrace it and when you do, you’ll gain something you never had.”

“Which is..” Terra inquired catching her breath.

“Control.”

Control. A word that was as foreign to her as the country they were residing in. This lit a fire in Terra that burned like nothing else, so she stood up. She struck her palms into the air in front of her and the power flowed through her again. She remembered everything that happened to her. She felt the fury rise within and for the first time she allowed herself to feel it. All of it. There was a sound like that of a thunder crack which exploded into the air. The immeasurable weight in front of them slowly split into jagged holes that traveled downwards. Each piece of debris that fell to the earth kicked up enormous clouds of dust which encircled the mountain. Terra’s eyes glowed a brilliant ray of light as the mountain struggled in vain against her. With a deafening roar of defeat, the mass of rock was torn open, leaving a massive gaping wound made of ancient sediment thousands of years old.

It was after all was settled when Terra’s arms went limp and she crumpled over only to have Slade catch her before she could hit the ground. He held her in his arms and she for the first time in a long time she felt safe and secure.. As if there was nothing in existence that could hurt her. Then Slade spoke, “This conquest is one of many… Come now and rest. There is still work to be done.”

The memories that followed overcame Terra. A possible side-effect of whatever mental connection that was made between her and Raven. She remembered her attack on the Titans, and the hostile take-over of the city that followed. How she unquestionably followed Slade’s orders to kill dozens of people along with many officers of the Jump City Police Department. How all those times she felt the unexplained sadness whenever she passed by the memorial site of that day. Slade had made her do horrible things and the worst part of it was, at that time she felt “absolutely no regrets.” This revelation made her disgusted with herself. She may have died but to her these were sins she could never truly forgive herself for.  
“I’m sorry Garfield. I wasn’t myself back then. I thought Slade had saved me from myself… but the truth is he didn’t do that…” Her voice trailed off. She knew the truth and now had come the time for her to realize it.   
“You did.”

“And you have every reason to hate me for not being strong enough to do the same…” Terra finished her sentence with tears streaming down her face. She turned away from him when she felt a gentle tug on her arm. He looked at her right in the eyes and said, “I could never hate you Terra... I said I’d be there for you no matter what and I’m keeping that promise…” At this Terra looked at his eyes and they stood locked into a gaze of longing. Beast Boy hesitated his mind drifting towards Raven before he lost himself in the moment. The two leaned in for a tender kiss that felt pure and innocent…. And that ultimately felt long overdue.


End file.
